Atelier Versace opens the 2012 Haute Couture collections in Paris

A/W 2012 Haute Couture collections

The Paris Haute Couture collections kicked off yesterday 1st July with Atelier Versace's opening the week on Sunday evening. 

Many differences were seen from last season, no more Bill Gaytten for Dior and Atelier Versace's second couture collection this year, but the first proper catwalk show since 1992, as well as debuting the Versace jewellery collection.

Donatella offered a colourful collection, for our cloudy rainy days for A\W 2012 at the Ritz in Paris for its return to the haute couture runway. Long flowy, sexy silk gowns and models like Karlie Kloss walking down the runway as beautiful hawks with the dark eye make up  and wavy romantic hair, ready to melt hearts. The dresses picked up again on the marine theme and the gladiator, roman theme, as seen in the last collections as well as in the last men's collection, from the shoes to the prints, silhouettes and colours. 

Mini dresses and dresses with bodices enhancing the waist, Donatella never seizes to disappoint, every dress was a show stopper. 

Today Raf Simons made his debut for Christian Dior, his first Haute Couture collection, the collections that everyone was waiting for with anticipation. A review will be posted in another blog post.  Alexis Mabille, Giambattista Valli and Iris Van Herpen were also on the runway today. 

Tomorrow the day opens with Chanel, after the plane ride of Karl Lagerfeld's last couture collection, I wonder what  to expect now. The day will follow with Stephane Rolland, who had Yasmin Le Bon walking down the runway in one  of the heaviest dresses ever made in his S/S 2012 couture collection, as well as Armani Prive & Givenchy.

On Wednesday Elie Saab, Valentino, Jean Paul Gaultier and Maison Margiela bring to a close the Haute Couture A/W 2012 collections. 

Reviews and news will up daily, watch this space.

Till then. 

Laura

Photos from Vogue.fr